For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were reality, and are often more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are.- Nicolo Machiavelli, The 8th Institute

I began writing opinion pieces in 1973. It’s now 39-years later and in something approaching 500,000 words, I have expressed many opinions about issues and people. I have neither hidden my political beliefs nor Christian faith, neither my cultural values nor love of baseball.

A look at the long history of financial deregulation is warranted, as America continues to struggle to pull out of the grave recession brought on by a housing market meltdown in 2007. Given all the recent chatter surrounding the looming fiscal cliff, and debates about banking regulation and bailouts, there is no better time to critically analyze the legacies of past economic policies.

The International Energy Agency released its World Energy Outlook 2012 report today finding,